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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22843780">Honey, if you Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkmagyk/pseuds/Darkmagyk'>Darkmagyk</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Pre-Relationship, because Nico is always going to be a little bit of angst, end of summer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:14:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22843780</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkmagyk/pseuds/Darkmagyk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Then the Apollo kids start a sing-a-long and Nico has an excuse to stare at Will and also to ignore the other four’s pointed looks and smirks. </p><p>At least when they all left, no one would be around to make fun of his new stupid crush. </p><p>***<br/>The summer is over, and Nico is staying at camp.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo &amp; Connor Stoll, Nico di Angelo &amp; Jason Grace, Nico di Angelo &amp; Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo &amp; Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>322</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Honey, if you Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In which I try to solve some continuity errors while also relating hard core to Nico. </p><p>Title from My Chemical Romance's Famous Last Words. Because no other band really captures the soul of the gay emo nerd like MCR.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was small and purple with tiny gold letters. SPQR.</p><p>All the head counselors had gotten together and voted. That’d sat around the ping pong table in the Big House. Nico had been included in one such meeting before, during Percy’s disappearance and before the guy had shown up at Camp Jupiter. Then it had been an honorary thing, mostly. Because Nico happened to be around and Annabeth had looked really desperate and Percy had been <em>missing</em>. Nico had never done anything else as a head camper while at Camp Half-Blood. </p><p>He had gone to a lot of Roman Senate meetings, because Camp Jupiter loved their Senate Meetings, loved standing on their ceremony. Nico had draped himself in a black toga and a title given to him by his father and gone and been smirkingly judgmental about the whole thing. It had fit his whole air. But also, he thought it was ridiculous. </p><p>Nico Di Angeolo was a <em>Greek</em> Demigod. He was meant for war councils where a loose confederation of friends got together and screwed around until a destions was made. </p><p>It was great. </p><p>There had been plenty of suggestions. </p><p>The war with Gaea was the obvious one. But it had been in many ways so draining and sad, particularly after the second titan war, that putting it aside for happier things seemed right. </p><p>Will had probably been joking about baby Chuck, but Clarisse’s seconding had seemed sincere.</p><p>Harley had crashed the meeting to make an impassioned case for Festus in honor of Leo before Nyssa had managed to shepherd him back to the forges with an apologetic look at Jake. Everyone had been pretty down after that. Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and Jason had all shot him the look they always did the loss of Leo was brought up. He gave kind of a half shrug. They hadn’t gotten Leo’s scroll message until the next day, so the tension hadn’t been broken until Clovis fell onto the floor in his sleep and woke up coughing up the skittles Connor and Travis had been throwing in his mouth. </p><p>Annabeth had mentioned afterwards that some of her siblings had been hoping she’d talk them into the Athena Parthenos, but she hadn’t even brought it up at the meeting.  </p><p>Really, there was no contest. </p><p>The coming together of the two camps was the biggest thing to happen over the summer, and the best thing. The last war had ended in victory, but in many ways it didn’t feel like anything was gained, even with Percy’s promise. But the reuniting of Greeks and Romans was different. They were allies, yes, but also friends, family even. Celebrating that seemed right.  No one could object. </p><p>And now, on the last day, the beads were being handed out to campers. </p><p>Nico rolled it in his palm. </p><p>He remembered, with a sort of distant haze, being 10 years old, sitting in the Hermes Cabin, and asking Travis (or Connor, he could tell them apart now, but at the time they’d seemed like slight variations on the same person) about the five beads around his neck. </p><p>He’d explained the tradition and what each of his beads meant. He’d been particularly excited about the centaur in the prom dress, which had been his first summer, and a direct result of he and his brother antics. But Nico had been more interested in the most recent beads. And the stories that went with them.</p><p>He probably would have liked the stories regardless. They were straight out of a really good Mythomagic game. But those particular quests featured Percy Jackson, and learning of his heroic exploits only made him more amazing in Nico’s eyes. It had been enough to almost make him forget that his sister had abandoned him.</p><p>But right now, all he could think about was the Stoll Brother’s last words, “Dude, you’ll have this many in no time.”</p><p>So many years later, and this was his first one. </p><p>Annabeth had been helping Chiron pass the beads out, while Percy had handed leather necklaces to the new campers. There were about 20 of them, all younger than him. All eager to find their place at camp. All their friends eager to have them.</p><p>The site of it made him angry before he caught himself. <em>You pushed them away as much as they pushed you</em>, he reminded himself, <em>you have friends who are happy you are here too</em>.</p><p>As if to illustrate that point, Percy walked back over to where Jason, Piper, and Nico were sitting around the campfire, and sat down, before passing two other necklaces to Piper and Jason. He held on to one other leather cord, and glared at it once before turning to Jason. </p><p>“Now you are officially a Greek Demigod.” he said as Jason strung his bead and put his necklace around his neck. They fist bumped, and Piper rolled her eyes at Nico, who smiled a bit in return. It hurt his face less these days. He was getting used to it. </p><p>Piper started inspecting her new necklace, but she didn’t put it on like her boyfriend, instead she played with the edge of her dark braid, glancing between the feather and the bead. With a little laugh, Nico realized that she was contemplating a <em>look</em>. A true daughter of Aphrodite, but in her own Piper way. She probably wouldn’t like the sentiment, but it was a nice reminder. Demigods were their parents' children, but they were also their own people. He smiled again. </p><p>“What’s funny?” Percy asked, his tone was suspiciously, but he was grinning. </p><p>“Just thinking how the beads probably hurt less than the legion tattoos.” Nico offered. </p><p>Jason laughed at that, but Percy winced, and rubbed the mark on his arm. </p><p>“What’s wrong now?” Annabeth asked as she joined them, sitting next to Percy. </p><p>Feeling jealous when he saw Annabeth and Percy together wasn’t a new feeling, but the fact that the jealousy wasn’t directed at either of them was different. Having a significant other just seemed nice. And it was just weird when all your closest friends were couples. But for Nico, it was weird having close friends. </p><p>He turned away from them, and just caught himself before he looked to the other side of the campfire, where he knew Will Solace sat with his siblings. That would have resulted in one too many knowing looks from all four of them, and probably another conversation with Jason about being honest about your feelings. </p><p>He looked back quickly, but Piper caught his eye with said knowing look. Maybe he should call her on being a true daughter of Aphrodite. But now, to save as much face as possible, he concentrated on their group. </p><p>Annabeth had grabbed one of Percy’s left over straps and was straining an extra bead on it. </p><p>“When you find Leo,” And there was an undercurrent of danger in her voice. “After you punch him, make sure to give him that.”</p><p>Piper frowned as she put the necklace in her pocket. Probably contemplating the horrible things she was going to yell at Leo when they found him. For a moment, they all were. </p><p>Nico thought about the hologram scroll sitting in his cabin. He thought about watching Octavian sore into the sky and feeling Leo’s death minutes later. He had some nasty things to say himself. When the guy came back, he’d probably sell tickets to the punch line.</p><p>Annabeth strung two more necklaces, she held them up for their little group. </p><p>“Do you want to send these to the Camp Jupiter PO Box? Or should I?”</p><p>“I have a couple letters to send that way,” He said, “I’ll do it.” </p><p>He’d known about Camp Jupiter since just after last summer. At the time it had seemed like just another secret. Soon it was joined by the fact that he’d brought a sister back from the dead. They piled up in him. Made him angry and bitter. </p><p>Grudges were the fatal flaw of children of Hades, Bianca had told him, once. He had thought, when he’d forgiven Percy for her death, he’d let go of it. </p><p>He’d never really escape it. That was the thing about Fatal Flaws that he maybe hadn’t understood, they can’t be escaped, just understood and worked to overcome.</p><p> But maybe, knowing he wasn’t carrying all the secrets by himself would help him keep it in check.</p><p>Like knowing that every other member of Camp Half-Blood had SPQR on their neck.</p><p>“Shouldn’t we make them Camp Half-Blood beads?” Percy asked, “They knew about Camp Jupiter already. They discovered this.” </p><p>Annabeth looked considerate for a moment. “You’re right. We’ll get a couple of those tomorrow morning.”</p><p>“Three.” Nico offered, “One for Hazel, Frank, and…”</p><p>“Reyna, yeah, she probably doesn't want her own city in a bead.” Annabeth agreed. “I’ll make sure I make some before we leave tomorrow.” She promised as he handed the necklaces back.</p><p>He paused, Percy still had a bunch of leather necklaces left. “Can I have one of those?” he pointed at them. It seemed silly to be so hesitant. He felt almost settled, he was going to stay here. He had committed to that. But it was such a visible reminder. It screamed to everyone, <em>I belong here</em>. </p><p>Percy frowned, “What happened to your old one?”</p><p>“I don’t have one. First bead and all.” </p><p>Percy and Annabeth looked at each other, in that eerie way they had, like they could read each other's mind. But Percy just handed him the necklace.</p><p>Jason stared at him though, “I thought you were at the Battle of Manhattan last year.” </p><p>“I was,” Nico agreed, “but I left camp before they handed out beads or anything.” He considered it, “Not sure of the exact timing, but I might have been trying to figure out how to introduce myself at Camp Jupiter then, that’s a little ironic.” He said as he strung the SPQR bead. </p><p>Everyone was quiet for a moment. Uncomfortable. </p><p>“I should have stayed long enough to see the interiors of the Hades Cabin,” He turned to Annabeth, “Was the coffin thing your work?”</p><p>Annabeth grinned, “I designed the buildings. Interior decorating was all the Aphrodite Cabin, I believe.”</p><p>Nico narrowed his eyes at Piper, who rolled her eyes in response. “Oh please, I was stealing BMWs at the time. But by all means, take it up with Drew. That is a conversation I’d pay good money to see.”</p><p>“I think that’s a conversation that could only end badly.” Annabeth said, “And for the sake of not having to rebuild all of camp, again, should be avoided.” </p><p>They all laugh, and it is a nice night. </p><p>Then the Apollo kids start a sing-a-long and Nico has an excuse to stare at Will and also to ignore the other four’s pointed looks and smirks. </p><p>At least when they all left, no one would be around to make fun of his new stupid crush. </p><p>***</p><p>All of his friends were leaving. </p><p>And Nico felt a wave of bitterness that kind of worried him, because he’d been trying not to get upset about that kind of thing. He’d been trying not to let past abandonment issues affect his present relationships. He should also probably stop reading self-help books, but they were the only things Will stocked in the infirmary. He was always surprised at the number of titles that were available in Ancient Greek. </p><p>But it was hard, as he stumbled around his cabin on the last morning of camp. He had filled out the form already signifying that he was staying, but at the moment he regretted it. Both Praetors were not supposed to leave Camp Jupiter at the same time, and there were ten Centurions. The chances of Hazel, Reyna, and Frank all being around was high, and the chances of them all being gone was nearly non-existent.</p><p>He missed them. </p><p>And the idea of being on the other side of the country, with no risk of being friendless in the near future, sounded good. </p><p>The dining pavilion was full for the last time in what would be a while, and Nico frowned to himself as he settled into his place, Jason and Percy, siblingless at the other big three tables, both nodded at him. They had talked about proposing an idea for a Big Three table, but Chiron had been hesitant. He’d said they’d revisit the idea once Summer was over. Jason had even been working on a pitch. </p><p>But then Leo’s message had come in and plans had changed. Piper and Jason were going to go and find the idiot. And Nico couldn’t go. Will Solace, who had not actually gone to medical school yet, Nico checked, had spouted something about Nico not yet being fully recovered from his shadow travel trip, and forbid him from going with an infuriating “doctors orders.”</p><p>Chiron, who might have actually gone to Medical School, according to Annabeth, had agreed. </p><p>And then Jason had followed it up with a very heartfelt speech. “You’ve been avoiding making a place for yourself here for a long time. I kind of wish you could come too, three is a good number of a quest. But we both know that you’d do something dumb and heroic and while you’re still recovering, that could be really dangerous. It will be good for you to be at Camp during the off season.” </p><p>Nico had kind of wanted to argue with lots of those points. Like that he’d first come to camp in the off season. And that he’s been avoiding camp partly because he knew a big secret that could (and did) lead to a war. It was all excuses and he and Jason would both know it. </p><p>Instead, he was struck by the labeling of himself as dumb and heroic. That was a Percy think. Nico had once counted on it being a Percy think and led him to the river Styx because of it. Nico wasn’t dumb and heroic. He was shady. </p><p>“Dude, please.” Jason had said. “You’re totally dumb and heroic. You act like I haven’t heard all the stories about you.”</p><p>“Brining the Athena Parthenos wasn’t-”</p><p>“No,” Jason cut him off, “that was heroic and a calculated risk. But come on, everyone still talks about the time you showed up with a bunch of undead reinforcements during the Battle of Manhattan, which you could only do because you basically bullied your dad into it. Pluto-Hades, I mean, which is worse. That is both dumb and heroic. As was searching for the doors of death by yourself.  And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, though I’m not sure how you could miss it, but Will is telling ANYONE who will be still for five minutes in front of him, plus everyone he has trapped in the infirmary, all about how you summoned all these skeletons against all those Legionnaires in his defense. How he had to stop you from assassinating Octavian. How exhausted from shadow travel and necromancing and all that, you took out like six Legionnaires single handedly. The way he’s been going on about your battle skills kind of reminds me of- '' Jason stopped abruptly, and Nico, unusually for him, had no idea how he wanted to finish that sentence, who Will might remind Jason off. </p><p>“Regardless,” Jason said, “You totally do the dumb heroic thing. And with you still majorly recovering, dumb and heroic could be more fatal than usual. And it's always a little fatal.” </p><p>“You do realize without me there, you’ll just do the dumb and heroic thing, right?”</p><p>Jason grinned. His electric blue eyes still sparkled behind his glasses. “Exactly.” He laughed, and then continued, “You saved this camp. So do something different and dumb and heroic and open yourself up to the people here.”  </p><p>Nico couldn’t really take that much honest sincerity at once, and the conversation from their had quickly devolved into teasing and pointed comments about how if Jason got himself killed doing something dumb and heroic, Nico could and would still be able to yell at him about it. </p><p>But Nico had thought he’d made his peace with it. </p><p>As campers appeared, bags packed, and harpies circled the sky, ready to pick off anyone hapless enough to not fill out the proper paperwork, he felt nothing but dread. </p><p>He wasn’t even sure what he dreaded. He’d felt lonely before. Felt like an outcast. He was pretty sure it couldn’t get worse, even if it also couldn’t get better. </p><p>But maybe that was the problem. He had seen it get better. He had come to like the camaraderie with the Argo II crew and Reyna and Coach Hedge. He remembered odd bits and pieces of his life before the Lotus Hotel. But he remembered no childhood friends, either in Italy or D.C. And he did remember enough about his modern life to know he’d been a dweeby, nerdy little kid. He and Bianca had been at Westover Hall for a year, and he’d made no close friendship. No one even made much of an impression. At least he remembered the names of the people he met the five days at Camp before his sister died. But other then a horribly ill advised crush/a deep deep grudge, he hadn’t held on to any of those first, tentative relationships. </p><p>Before he’d brought Hazel, the closest thing to an affectionate chat he’d really had with anyone was Bob. Or gods, maybe his Dad. It was a sorry day when a demigod found himself closest to his godly parent. </p><p>But somehow, on the Argo II, on his quest with Reyna, these last two weeks at camp, Nico had found himself in the company of people, he had found comfort and camaraderie in that. </p><p>What was the message that had come when Reyna delivered the Athena Parthenos: <em>You are not alone. You are part of the Olympian family. The gods have not abandoned you.</em> The jury was very much still out on the last one, but despite being a son of Hades, despite being gay, despite being generally kind of a downer, it was true. He was not alone. And in its strange, magical, roundabout way, this was his family. </p><p>And the idea that the camp might drain, and he was left with a bunch of people who didn’t want that, didn’t want him, was terrifying. </p><p>It was a heady thought over his toast. </p><p>Jason and Percy both shot him a look of concern. Which meant he must have looked even more morose than usual. He was going to miss those looks of concern. </p><p>He tried to concentrate on chewing discontentedly. </p><p>It wasn’t all bad. Will seemed perfectly happy to hang out with him, and he wasn’t leaving. He’d even said they might look into working on getting his powers strength back, together. </p><p>But that together was its own set of issues he also didn’t want to think about. </p><p>He could see Will from his spot at the Hades table, laughing with his siblings. The early morning sun brought out the best in Apollo kids. </p><p>That was a very annoying fact that regularly made breakfast challenging. </p><p>He chewed on his next slice of toast. He’d had a ridiculous appetite since getting back from his quest. </p><p>And his toast wasn’t stupid handsome or nice or liable to make one of his friends share a knowing look behind his head. </p><p>But he managed to pull himself away from his food when the cleaning harpies started circling the dining pavilion. And he felt less bad when he saw that Percy had left his table, but brought one last bagel with him. </p><p>Jason and Percy were waiting for him at the edge of the pavilion, and he didn’t even wince when Jason clapped his shoulder. </p><p>“I think Piper’s still monitoring Cabin 10 move out, which is apparently a daunting task,” Jason said, “But I’m all packed, so we can head out when she and Annabeth are done.” </p><p>Percy looked at the sun, and nodded, “Mom wants us there by lunch and I don’t know if we’ll run into traffic, or monster troubles. But I remember one year the Aphrodite move out ended with half the cabins needing to be repainted because of the make up, a cow’s worth of leather handbags in the lake, and an entire spring collection of shoes in the sacrificial fire. So Piper’s work’s important. ” Then he turned to Nico, “And we promised Chiron we’d have you back by dark.” </p><p>Nico blinked at him, “What?”</p><p>“I want you to know that I went to the mat for you about it, too. He said he was worried about you getting eaten by harpies if you left on the last day of camp and came back the same night.” He turned back to Jason, “What time does your train leave?”</p><p>“Like 7-ish. Piper has the tickets.”</p><p>“Cool, I have reservations at eight, so everyone was going to have to be gone by seven anyway.”</p><p>“What are we talking about?” Nico asked. </p><p>“My birthday party.” </p><p>Nico blinked, August 18th, it was the anniversary of the Battle of Manhattan, which meant it was also Percy’s birthday. He’d been to one of Percy’s birthday parties before. </p><p>“I almost had my mom send me invitations, make it official, so you didn’t crash like the last one.” </p><p>August 18th two years ago had in fact ended with Nico having four slices of blue birthday cake, losing very badly to a Cyclops at monopoly, and back talking very quickly to Mr. Blofis when he said something inadvertently that screamed “i’m a demigod son of Hades, and also I’m from the 1940s.” It had not been a bad night at all from Nico’s perspective, but he’d kind of figured by the look Mr. Blofis gave him as he left, that he wasn’t going to be allowed to crash any more Jackson family parties, let alone be invited to one.</p><p>Percy was still talking “Camp normally ends before my birthday, and school doesn’t start until after, you know, so it was hard to like, invite people. My mom was so excited that she actually gets to throw me one this year with like, other people. She says it's an auspicious sign for a return to normalcy. And she wants that.” </p><p>Nico only sort of processed what was going on. That apparently this afternoon he was going to Percy’s birthday party again, and he had to be back at Camp by dark. He tried to remember if any of this had been told to him before. </p><p>He did think he remembered Annabeth saying something about Percy’s birthday. And Piper had mentioned a party, and meeting the famous Sally Jackson. </p><p>The issue might have been, in retrospect, that he assumed he wasn’t invited. </p><p>He hadn’t gotten Percy a present. He wondered if he had time to sneak over to the Camp store. Or there was something in his Cabin he could repurpose. </p><p>He was plotting his escape, when Piper bounded up to them in the common, her back laden with her pack. </p><p>“Are you done?” Jason asked, grasping for her hand casually, naturally. </p><p>“Everyone in Cabin 10 is officially packed up, and we only lost one pair of Gucci boots, which were really tacky, so no great loss.” She smiled, “and I didn’t commit fratricide or sororicide. Which I think is very impressive.” </p><p>“We’re all very proud,” Nico said. </p><p>“Annabeth got a text from my mom when she left,” Percy said, “She should be here pretty soon. And Annabeth is just wrapping some stuff up in the arts and craft tent.”</p><p>Whatever she might have been doing at arts and craft on the last day of summer, Nico missed, because Will was walking towards Half Blood Hill with one of his younger siblings, carrying a bag for the little kid. Nico followed them out of the corner of his eye, when he focused back on his group, they were all smiling at him. </p><p>“I’d say you could invite Will, but my family’s car is barely going to hold all of us as it is.” Percy warned. “Sorry.”</p><p>“Why would I want to invite Will Solace to your birthday party?” Nico asked, very very quickly. </p><p>“Because you have a crush on him.” Percy said. Nico frowned. </p><p>“<em>You</em> can tell?”</p><p>Percy frowned back, “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I have a real diagnosis about how well I notice dumb, distracting things.”  </p><p>“No, I just,” Nico rolled his eyes, trying to remain annoyed with himself and Percy, so he didn’t have to be terrified of what this meant. “You once went on a quest with me, Rachel Dare, and Annabeth. That means all the people you were questing with had crushes on you, and you didn’t notice.”</p><p>Piper burst out laughing. Jason winced in sympathy, though with Percy or Nico, he couldn’t be sure. . </p><p>“That’s not true,” Percy said, “I totally knew Annabeth had a crush on me, but I also knew she had a crush on Luke, and I had a crush on her, and I could not deal with all of those things at once. I barely knew Rachel then. She couldn’t have had a crush on me.” The yet was probably unspoken for Annabeth and Apollo’s sakes. “And I thought you wanted to kill me.”</p><p>Nico shrugged, “I mean, I also did want to kill you, a little.” </p><p>“See,” Percy finished, “You don’t want to kill Will. So it makes everything clear. Like the fact that you have a crush on him.” </p><p>“The only thing clearer,” Piper added, “Is that Will has a thing for you.” </p><p>Nico definitely had a response to that, but was saved from having to come up with it by Annabeth running across the grass and joining their group. </p><p>Percy’s entire face lit up when he saw her. It always did, even back when he’s apparently not been able to handle it. </p><p>“I finished them,” She said, holding up what was in her pocket, three leather camp necklaces, each with a clay bead on it. All three of them were painted half orange and half purple. She passed them to Nico, “I decided it would be a little weird if they only had the orange, so I decided to make them half and half. Coming together and all that.”</p><p>Nico nodded, and then shoved them in his pocket, below where his sword was belted. He was wearing camp store clothes, blue jeans and an orange shirt because he hadn’t really had the chance to get anything else since he got back. Standing around with the other four in matching shirts, camp beads around their necks, what was the difference between them and any other camp group? Jason and Percy’s legion tattoos, Nico’s black swords?</p><p>They couldn’t pass for normal teenagers, all of them but Percy were very obviously armed and demigods aura of power were perceptible to mortals, even if they couldn’t understand them. But they passed as just any other campers. The common was full of little groups of demigods saying good-bye to siblings and friends for the Summer. </p><p>It was profoundly weird, in the moment, for Nico not to feel weird. </p><p>Percy nudged Annabeth’s arm with his elbow, and they shared a look and several smiles. A silent conversation, maybe. Something passed between their hands, as swiftly as a Hermes camper might pick a pocket. </p><p>“And, you might have kept running out on us, but you cannot escape this time,” Percy held out his palm to Nico, who blinked at the contents slowly several times. </p><p>Clay beads. Two more camp beads. </p><p>One showed an intricately drawn maze and the other showed the empire state building, surrounded by names in ancient greek.</p><p>“So now you can’t pretend to not be an old timer like us. All the newbies will know to go to you with their incessant questions about the gods and monsters and sword fighting and if it's true Hades has 4000 attack points and stuff.” Percy said. </p><p>Nico snatched the beads out of Percy’s hand, he tried to shove them in his pocket, but the rest of the group stared at him for a long, drawn out moment. Jason’s eyes were pleading. Annabeth’s might have been worse. </p><p>“Thanks,” He managed to mumble, as he drew his camp necklace off his neck and strung his new (old) beads on. He didn’t say anything else for a long moment, because then he might have done something really embarrassing, like let his voice shake or cry tears of joy or hug them. Or point out that Hades actually had 5000 attack points. </p><p>He took several deep breaths and busied himself with putting back on his necklace, but making sure this time that most of it was tucked under his camp shirt. </p><p>“Shouldn’t you guys get your stuff,” He said. “If we’re about to leave.”</p><p>It still took another hour. Lots of goodbyes were exchanged. Just about everyone in camp hugged Percy and Annabeth. Harley gave Jason and Piper an extensive list of suggestions for tracking Festus the Dragon and a letter to give to Leo. </p><p>A few people even asked Nico if he was leaving again. And most of them didn’t seem disappointed when he said he’d be back before nightfall, though Will didn’t look like he believed him. </p><p>Nico did manage to sneak off to the camp store and buy a lunch box with a hippocampus on it from a sad looking Connor Stoll. </p><p>“You’re staying, <em>right</em>?” He asked, looking kind of confused when Nico handed over money. But Nico was no thief, and <em>his</em> dad left him that trust fund. </p><p>“Yeah,” Nico nodded, Connor’s answering smile surprised him. </p><p>“Good, everyone is clearing out. I saw the list of people who are staying, I don’t know half of them: like who the Hermes is Austin or Billie or Paolo or Julia.” </p><p>“Isn’t Julia one of your sisters?” </p><p>Connor ignored the question, “But me, you, Will, Miranda, we’ll make it work old school. Maybe if they prove themselves we’ll let Sherman and Nyssa and Malcolm join the cool kids group too.” </p><p>Connor was two years older then Nico and had lived at Camp Half-Blood for longer than Percy, he was pretty sure. The idea that he would want Nico to join his ‘old-school, cool kids’ group was almost unbelievable. Nico was used to people respecting him out of fear of his power and his father, and accepting his presence because of that. That was how the Romans had seen the Ambassador of Pluto. It hadn’t earned him a place at their camp, though. Octavian’s late offer was one of greed and desperation. (Frank and Reyna had offered genuinely, but it had taken several life or death quests for those friendships to bloom.) </p><p>It wasn’t at all what Connor Stoll was offering. Connor Stoll who had met Nico when he was ten and had tried to teach him poker, and was rebuffed because ten year old Nico was sure it couldn’t be better then Mythomagic (fourteen year old Nico stood by that belief.)</p><p>Acceptance was a new thing entirely. Even after the Agro II and the last two weeks with Percy and Jason and Annabeth and Piper. </p><p>Will’s attempts at friendship had been stubborn and determined and sometimes with just a hint of something that made the skeletal butterflies in Nico’s belly flutter. Connor’s was just a matter of fact. </p><p>“Yeah,” Nico agreed, because he didn’t know what else to say, and then he shuffled off because Connor kept looking over where Travis was hugging Annabeth, while trying to steal Mark’s wallet. Nico didn’t think he was a good person to talk to about your sibling’s upcoming disappearance. He might have said something really stupid, like that college wasn’t as bad as joining the Hunters, or dying on a quest, or being reborn just when you could sneak her back. </p><p>So he just stashed the beads for the Roman’s in his cabin and put Percy’s gift in his backpack. Then he met the rest of them as they managed to deviate themselves from well wishers and march up to Half-Blood Hill. </p><p>***</p><p>Percy kicked them out at exactly 5:55.</p><p>“Sorry,” he didn’t sound sorry at all, “I have anniversary plans.”</p><p>Annabeth, for the first time Nico had ever seen, giggled at Percy’s antics, as he started to shooed them out his door.</p><p>“What are your big plans?” Piper asked, accepting a ziplock baggie of blue cookies from Mrs. Jackson. ‘For the road, honey.’</p><p>“It's a surprise.” Percy said. </p><p>“Another romantic trip to Paris?” Annabeth asked. </p><p>“You went to Paris?” </p><p>“We’ve done Romantic trips to Paris and Roman and Athens and Tartarus,” Percy said, “So I figured at this point that’s kind of overdone for us.” </p><p>“There are other romantic European Cities.” Piper offered. </p><p>“London,” Suggested Jason. </p><p>“Madrid.” Offered Nico.</p><p>“Constantinople.” Jason said. </p><p>“Istanbul,” Nico countered. </p><p>“Athens without me as a third wheel, or snake monsters that want to kill us.” Piper finished. </p><p>Annabeth was gigging from her spot on Percy’s lap. Mrs. Jackson was just outright laughing. </p><p>“Well, we’re not going back to Europe,” Percy said with finality. “But I do have plans and they are excellent. So you all have to leave.”</p><p>Even after that, Percy gave Nico a long, hard hug. It was its own weird thing. He expected this kind of stuff from Jason, and Piper and Annabeth were both too nice to not offer such shows of friendship. But Percy, who had found out just over two weeks ago that Nico wasn’t just gay, but had spent years holding a really pathetic torch for him. He didn’t even hesitate to hug him. </p><p>When he pulled back he clapped Nico’s shoulder and gave him a smile “We won’t be that far away.” He said “So like, if you find yourself drafted into another deathly heroic quest, we’ll be around.”</p><p>“We could even hang out without the world ending.” Annabeth said, giving him her own hug. </p><p>Jason, Piper, and Nico climbed back into Mrs. Jackson’s car and took off into the New York evening while Percy and Annabeth celebrated some way or another. From the car, Nico couldn’t see the Skyline, or the Empire State Building against it. He couldn’t look up to Mount Olympus, and the gods who built their home there, gods who seemed to take so much from the Demigods at their base, and never gave anything back. </p><p>Hades was a stern, dower god, but he at least had some conception of his demigod children. He actually supported Nico, financially, he gave him a zombie driver, he even let Nico live at his palace, sometimes. He didn’t drag Hazel back to the Underworld. </p><p>He turned to Jason and Piper. Zeus or Jupiter, had taken so much more from Jason then Hades had taken from Nico, and he appeared to give him nearly nothing in return.  </p><p>And yet Jason sat contentedly in traffic, a small smile on his face. Piper, seated between them, looked lost in troubled thought, but Jason caught Nico’s eye and smiled wider. Then he reached out and took Piper’s hand. She started, jumping and then looking at him. Her troubled look was replaced with a slightly apprehensive smile. </p><p>Aphrodite just took from everyone. And her <em>son</em>, well, Nico did his best to put Eros out of his mind. It didn’t always work.</p><p>Mrs. Jackson dropped Jason and Piper off at Grand Central Station. Nico jumped out to help them with their packs in the trunk, but mostly to say goodbye. </p><p>He got a hug from Piper first. “Maybe if Will gets up the nerve to ask you out, when we can double when we get back.” She laughed at his answering frown. </p><p>Jason hugged him after that. </p><p>“You did promise me capture the flag team ups, and meal sharing,” Nico said. Jason looked stricken for a moment. “You need to go and find Leo,” He quickly added. “It's important, I can’t punch him for doing this if he’s lost.”</p><p>Jason laughed, “Yeah, I do feel bad for leaving you high and dry at camp.” </p><p>“It's fine,” Nico said, and found it wasn’t just something he was saying to make Jason feel better. He would be ok at Camp Half-Blood. He’d be with people he’d fought beside, people who had taken him in, once, before. Will Solace, Connor Stoll, Miranda Gardener, Chiron; he’d make it work. </p><p>“Well, when we get back, we’ll celebrate Leo’s return by winning capture the flag.” Jason assured him. </p><p>He didn’t follow them into the terminal, just gave them a wave and said he’d see them soon.</p><p>Then he climbed back into the car, and drove off to Long Island with Sally Jackson. </p><p>They mostly rode in silence, but as the rural terrain overtook the city she said “I’m glad Percy brought you back.” </p><p>He didn’t know what to say to that, but after several minutes she continued. </p><p>“I know you’ve had an unconventional life, even for a demigod.” She was so matter of fact about the magic of it all. It reminded of the vision he’d seen of his mother’s death, speaking of Zeus with absolutely confidence that the Lord of the Sky existed, and that he wasn’t anything special, either. He wished he could remember her better. “But I want you to know that you’re welcome whenever you’d like. Though I would prefer no more requests for trips into the Styx. “</p><p>“I don’t think I’ll suggest that to Percy, again,” Nico said. </p><p>“No, let's start with Thanksgiving, maybe,” She said, “get you acclimated with twenty first century American holidays.” She said it lightly, but he suspected if he didn’t make an appearance at the Jackson-Blofis Thanksgiving, short of the world ending, he’d face the wrath of this warm and very formidable women. Most people around Camp talked about Percy in terms of Poseidon. Powerful, volatile, quick to help and quick to destroy. But every time Nico met Sally Jackson, he felt like he understood Percy more. </p><p>It really was no wonder his ten year old self had been so taken with the guy. It might be even more of a wonder that his fourteen year old self was managing to shake it off. </p><p>When she dropped him off at Half-Blood Hill, Mrs. Jackson shoved another ziplock baggy off cookies at him, and reminded him to stop by anytime, before promising she’d see him at Thanksgiving. </p><p>And Nico rounded the hill just in time to see a brilliant sunset. The only one of the Hesperides Nico had ever met was Zoe Nightshade, and the memories weren’t at all pleasant. He’d heard that the rest of them, siding with their Titan Father, were worse. But Nico had to hand it to the goddesses of the evening, they did good work. </p><p>Camp was mostly deserted. Everyone had gotten dinner already, and there wasn’t a campfire tonight. Connor had closed up the Camp Store. Mr. D hadn’t returned, and the lights in the big house were off. The woods rustled with monsters, but none attempted to leave. Several cleaning Harpies were circling the sky, ready to pick off stragglers and left over belongings. </p><p>He walked towards the cabins, Seven’s brilliant gold was starting to fade in the setting sun, but Eight was gleaming silver. He glanced at the Hearth, hoping, in vain he figured, for Hestia’s return. He missed her warm presence and patient wisdom.</p><p>She wasn’t there, but Will Solace was. When he saw Nico looking his way, he raised his hand, beckoning. </p><p>“I wasn’t sure you were going to come back,” Will said, when Nico joined him properly. “Though you might use it as a chance to make an escape.”</p><p>Nico rolled his eyes, but Will caught it in the fading light, “Don’t give me that, I told Jason and Piper all the reason it would be medically dangerous to your health to go on that quest. I’m glad it wasn't a wasted effort.” </p><p>“It was a wasted effort,” Nico said, “I didn’t even try, and neither Jason nor Piper preemptively tried to talk me out of it. They have faith in me, your’s is wonderful.”</p><p>Will just snorted, and they stood there in comfortable silence. Nico liked comfortable silences, liked people he could have them with, like Hazel and Reyna. </p><p>“You know, it's not so bad here,” Will said, his smile bright even in the twilight. </p><p>“It-” <em>is what it is</em>, he’d been about to say. Nico cut himself off when he really processed what Will had said. “I know.” He finally settled on, “You told me that, the first time we met.”</p><p>“You remember that?” Will asked, and Nico thought he caught red flooding Will’s cheeks. </p><p>As the rest of that conversation came back to Nico, he realized why, and hoped that the light was fading fast enough to hide his own growing blush. </p><p>They’d both been ten, new to camp, hanging around the Common, just like now. </p><p>“You look like Apollo,” Nico had said, still taking those first steps into a whole new world. “He’s hot, cause he’s the sun god.” Trying to copy the older, cooler kids, trying to deal with his own feelings that didn’t really make any sense, contextualize a past he didn’t even realize was missing, figure out what life might be like without his sister after decades he didn’t know about with her as his only constant.</p><p>“I remember everything about that week.” He finally said to Will, in the here and the now. Acknowledging that, even if he’d been ten year old, he’d definitely called Will Solace hot. (Nico could stand by that assessment. Which definitely made the memory worse.) </p><p>He remembered failed attempts at archery and only slightly more successful sword fighting. He remembered wheedling Silena Beauregard into playing Mythomagic with him. He remembered asking Travis and/or Connor who his demigod parent might be so much that at one point he’d snapped and said “It's probably Hades, and he’s going to drag you off into the Underworld, FOREVER.” He also remembered dreams of the Underworld and Hades on his throne of bone and in his robes of souls. He remembered seeing Bianca’s journey through the River Styx. He remembered being such a little dweeby kid.</p><p>It was a wonder that anyone who met him that week still wanted to talk to him. </p><p>But Will Solace leaned over and knocked his shoulder against Nico’s. He knew better than to rehash the last time Nico had tried to make Camp Half-Blood his home. </p><p>“Connor was talking a big game, after dinner.” Will finally said, looking forward, not back. “But I think he’s just upset about Travis.”</p><p>“I understand.” Nico said, because he really really did understand being left behind at camp when your older sibling went off into the world. </p><p>“But the off season is normally pretty good. Like I said, maybe we’ll see if we can figure out how to build back up your strength with Underworld magic, make it so you can Shadow travel again without just passing out.” </p><p>“That’s really how you want to spend your time? Helping me?”</p><p>“It’s a purely medical challenge, I assure you.” Will said. The sun was almost entirely set now, but Will still seemed to glow lightly in the moon. Reflecting its light, like it reflected the sun. </p><p>“I don’t know, I was looking forward to catching up on school work,” Nico said, “I’m woefully behind on tenth grade english.” Nico was not great at reading English at all. Maybe that was something he would work this year too. In addition to figuring out how to shadow travel without passing out. And how to talk to Will without his insides turning to goo. </p><p>Will actually threw back his head and laughed. It gave Nico a good view of his neck, which was a freckley and glowy as his face. But Nico was distracted from some very embarrassing lines of thought by the site of Will’s camp necklace.</p><p>It was tucked away under his shirt, but Nico could feel his camp beads against his own neck. Three beads for three summers. The same as Will.</p><p>The cleaning Harpies were circling lower now, and with no campfire tonight, it was inching closer to curfew. </p><p>“Goodnight.” Will said, first, after he followed Nico’s line of sight over his shoulder and noticed the Harpies.</p><p>“Goodnight.” Nico turned towards Cabin 13.</p><p>“I’ll see you in the morning.” Will said.</p><p>It was a promise.</p><p>“Yeah,” Nico agreed, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Check me out on <a href="http://darkmagyk.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>. There is lots lots of Percy Jackson and I literally always want to talk it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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